Destiny 2: The Final Shape review – Prism break

Over the last decade, Destiny has been a game of fist-pumping highs and head-scratching lows. One year might see the release of an expansion like The Taken King that pushes the series forward to deliver on its promises, another year might see you take a sabbatical when you’ve rolled credits on Shadowkeep. Throughout all of these trials and tribulations, Destiny’s core has always been that of one of the best shoot-and-loot games on the market, and in the last seven years specifically, Destiny 2 has pushed these gameplay mechanics to their breaking point while slowly building one of the best live-service experiences to regularly dive into.

After the dismal release of Lightfall last year and a final season that went on for way too long, The Final Shape had a lot to live up to. The conclusion to Destiny’s Light and Darkness saga, The Final Shape needed to be nothing short of the best that developer Bungie could offer: a finale that lived up to the hype and promises built over several years of storytelling. The good news is that The Final Shape sticks the landing, as this Destiny 2 expansion delivers a campaign that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the main story and beyond.

If you need a quick refresher–apologies to Noelle who’s editing this–things aren’t looking good in the ol’ Destiny 2 universe. The Witness, the big bad of the series (who resembles a gothic smoker who’s unlocked the ultra-instinct form of vaping), is on the verge of victory. Having made its way into the gigantic golf ball known as the Traveler, the Witness is just a few slashes away from carving the universe into the titular Final Shape, a state of perfect stillness that’ll lock everyone and everything into a fixed position for all eternity.

With all of creation at stake, it’s up to the Guardians to finally venture into the Traveler, work their way through an army of the Witness’s forces, and show that even reality-warping gods are no match for a .45 bullet to the noggin. While the story veers off in some unexpected directions–like turning taciturn Vanguard commander Zavala into a loose cannon looking to go out in a blaze of glory–The Final Shape is still a terrific tale enhanced by its creepy location, nostalgic nudges to the ribs, and the return of Nathan Fillion as Cayde-6.

The Witness is existential horror on two legs, an adversary with a liking for Cenobite fashion as it weaves a mental needle through your thoughts, and constantly offers you its personal brand of “salvation” when you’re not annihilating its forces in its Darwinian games. It’s not the longest tale, and some narrative decisions are odd, but it’s an exceptionally well-told story that continues through one of Destiny 2’s best-ever raids and ends on a high-note as the game earns its grand finale.

But beyond a narrative full of incredible “hell yeah!” moments, Destiny 2 also goes all out with the introduction of its new Prismatic subclass. A harmonious blend of Light and Darkness, this is a highlight reel of familiar powers that players can draw from, creating their own mix-tape of abilities as they tear through enemies. I’m still experimenting with Prismatic, but the options so far have been eye-opening and feel downright broken in a game that is constantly being patched for the sake of balance. Prismatic is a victory lap for Destiny 2, a unique blend of abilities to experiment with.

On top of that, each Guardian class gets a new Super ability to unleash in battle. Warlocks got their Well of Radiance nerfed, but the new Song of Fire is a terrific replacement. Titans can hurl a series of Void-axes at an enemy and pick them up for a quick slash or three, while Hunters dip into the anime power fantasy by zipping around the battlefield like Naruto’s dad when he uses the Flying Thunder God technique.

And you’ll be doing plenty of experimenting when you face off against the Dread, a new race in Destiny 2 full of terrifying new foes. If you thought the Tormentors from Lightfall were scary enough on their own, wait until you start fighting Strand and Stasis-wielding bastards or berserkers equipped with bladed tonfas and kamikaze belly-bombs. New Exotics, at least one gun that allows you to fire healing mini-rockets into players, and a ton of post-launch content makes for a meaty meal that you’ll be feasting on for weeks to come. That said, newcomers to the series will likely feel lost when they’re thrown into a small galaxy of confusing menus and a story that’s probably going to make very little sense unless you’ve been invested in it for several years already.

But more importantly, Destiny 2 gives its fanbase something few live-service games dare to do: Closure. Sure, the next year will see three “Episodes” roll out and Bungie is teasing Destiny: Frontiers for 2025, but The Final Shape is as good a time as ever to hang up your 1973 Exotic class item and call it a day. While Destiny 2 isn’t going anywhere, there’s a subtle sense of finality in the air as the series heads into uncharted territory.

For now, I’m still happy to enjoy the current package. The new Overthrow activity has kept me busy as I chased Ghosts and completed Pathfinder nodes, there are some super-shiny armor ornaments to unlock on the season pass, and I’ve got a Grandmaster Nightfall strike to prepare for. Whether you’re looking to end your Destiny 2 journey and move on to something new, or plan to stick around for another decade of baffling sci-fantasy storytelling, The Final Shape is a showcase of Bungie at its best.